Apple’s problems in Europe look to be getting worse, not better. Following on the heels of France’s legislative push for DRM interoperability comes word that Denmark is thinking along the same lines.
Brian Mikkelsen, the Danish Minister of Culture, said that legislation addressing the matter would be introduced in 2007. He expressed optimism that DRM interoperability would be backed by the various record labels who are eager to see legal alternatives to piracy flourish online.
Apple has threatened to pull out of France if the law is passed. How many markets are Apple willing to dump to fight this? My prediction is that Apple will eventually capitulate and will grow even stronger. Allowing more music services to work with the iPod will only increase sales of that player. And allowing more players to use iTunes will only solidify the lead it enjoys. It’ll be win-win situation for Apple.
Update: John writes about this very topic in his current PC Magazine column.
